Traffic control system for multifloor garages



P 19314 s. E. TEST 1,823,008

TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MULTIFLOOR GARAGES Filed Nov. 20, 1926 INVEN TOR. 610,45: E. Tsst BY w- W 2 A ORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 15, 1931 EQE SKILES E. TEST, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MULTIFLOOR GARAGES Application filed November 20, 1926. Serial No. 149,633.

This invention relates to a system of traffic control.

The chief object of the invention is to control trafiic in a garage or the like where the '5' patrons are constantly bringing cars for storage and are taking their cars from storage, so that the parons cars may be most expeditiously placed in the garage and taken therefrom and delivered to the patron at the entrance.

The chief feature of the invention in addition to the general arrangement of the storage spaces and car movements, consists in the provision of a traffic control system which permits the main dispatcher to control the entire traffic in the garage and permits intersignaling and inter-communication where necessary from said traflic control station to the several floor stations.

Another feature of the invention consists in the particular arrangement of the traffic controlling signal.

A further feature of the invention consists in the general arrangement and connections 5 associated with the main traflic control panel or board.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the garage showing the single car width traflic driveway or ramp arranged in helical formation and lllustrating the sub-station control and slgnal, intercommunication device and the traflic control signals simultaneously operable from the main or central control station. Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram of the traffic control system circuits. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one form of traific signal.

In the drawings 10 indicates a helical driveway or ramp leading from floor to floor and of just sutficient width for a single car to pass either up or down thereon. Said driveway is suitably banked and cars may be driven therefrom to the several floor storage areas which are arranged at approximately half the usual floor elevations, as shown. However, a pair of half floor elevations in the present system have a common fioor designation and have a common floor control, and in Fig. 1 the portion of the lower half of floor A is shown with three vehicles parked in suitable places along the driveway traflic signals 13 are provided and these are suitably supported as by hanging or by being supported on pedestal 14 as herein shown. These driveway signals are positioned so that they are simultaneously visible from opposite directions, that is, the drivers of cars when going up or going down can read the signals indicated thereon. Herein in view of the helical single track arrangement, a triangular outlined signal box is utilized, these being positioned at the outer edge of the ramp.

Eachsignal includes three superposed compartments 15 and each compartment upon opposite faces includes two visual signal indicators in the'form of colored glass or lenses 16 and mounted in each compartment is av lamp 17. Therefore, when lamp 1? is energized in any one compartment, the two visual indicators 16 are simultaneously illuminated. All of the signals above the main station or traflic control station are connected in parallel. Thus, there are three main signaling circuits. For convenience, assume all the signal units to be identical and properly positioned. All of the upper compartment lamps 17 will be simultaneously energized when the main switch controlling the same is closed, said switch being positioned on the main panel board 20 and indicated by the numeral 19. When switch 19 is closed the lamp 17 in the upper compartment 15 of each signal is I energized which will indicate in the assumed condition that the green lens 16 is illuminated and shows down the ramp so that it is only visible to a driver approaching from a lower floor and driving up the ramp. Simultaneously at all of the signal units the other signal that traflic direction is against him... Immediately below the upper'compartment.

15 is another compartment and both lenses 16 therein are preferably colored yellow or orange to indicate caution or'cl'n nge; VVhenlamp 17 in the caution compartment is energized by closing the main switch 18 on the 117.- and having, oppositely directed. lenses 16- which. aresimultaneously illuminatedwhen.

panel board 20, the caution signal is displayed to all drivers throughout the ramp and travelling-thereon: and will indicate to the drivers that thesignal will change. Immediately below the second compartment is a third compartmentalso containing an individual lamp the respective lamp is energized: It the uppermost lower directed lens-16 is green,.the lowermost lower directed lens 16 will. be red.

a The. upper directed uppermost and-lowermost lenses 1.6 are conversely arranged.

The operator at the main panel board 20 thusis adapted to control traffic by throwing' the respective switches 18, 19 or 21, the

3a last mentioned controlling. all. of the lowermost lamps 17 Thus-,.if:switch 19*is assumed. closed,. all. the trafiic will be up. If it is desired to change the traflic, the switch 18 is closedwitlr switch 19 remaining. closed so that. the two compartments in. each signal unit are both illuminated. Atter a1predeter-- mined: period if no other signal indicationisrece1ved,. as W111. be hereinafter pointedout,

switch 19 is openedand the switch21 is closed "permitting. reverse travel on the ramp. A

lamp-'22 is in'parallel with each signal-circuit and visually indicateswhich switch; is closed..

It. may bestated that in public garagesof' the character indicated traflic has a. definite "trend at-certa-in periods of the-dayandinight. Thus, patrons will be leaving, cars-for stor I ageinthe early morning hours willrbe with.-

drawing; cars-from storage around: noon, willbe returning cars for storage shortly after noon,.will be withdrawing cars from; storage shortly before evening, will be returning cars for storage early in the evening and withdrawingcars' from storage later in. the eve ning. The foregoing arethe general trafii'c trends and during. these periods the traffic control system will generallybe held without change for considerable: periods in the predetermined direction, that is, when cars are beingleft for storage, traffic control will generally: be up until a patron. desirouszto have a' car withdrawn: from storage, and when patronsare generally'withdrawing cars fronn storage, traffic generally wlll' be down" untiil a patron leaves a car for storage. In

each-instancethe signals are reversed to permit handling of the car to be moved counter to the then prevailing traflic.

At each floor there is provided a telephone 25. A switch in the form of a push button 26 or otherwise, and a light 27 are connected in series and the wires therefrom lead to the mainzpanel boar-d 20 andto a. lamp 28 thereon; Thus,. when the switclrv 26 at floor A is closed, light 27 immediately adjacent thereto will be illuminated and light 28 on the panel board and indicated A thereon is illuminated. Failure of either lamp will be indicated by the failure of" either or both lamps remaining dark. The attendant at floor A, by operating a switch 26, can indicats on the main. panel board. 28- his desires to the trafiic control operator at the mainpanel board; Thus, for example, a: continuous illumination 01"? lamp28-at the main panel hoard might indicate-that telephone conversation isdesired between theattendant and the main traffic control station. Intermittent OPBIEI'GlOIlEGf switch126 and therefore in-- termittent operation of lamp 28 at the main board, may indicate a traffic change is desired. Various combinationscan be afiect'ed.

The main operator at central station 20*can flash a reply or. indicate that. the signal is received by intermittent actuation of main. switch 18' which will simultaneously flash intermittently the lamp-17 in the change signal compartmentof each ot the signals. It

different grades of traflic or service are em? ployed, that is, ordinary. andexpress the floor attendant can indicate'the sameby operating switch 26-toflashthe desired signal through lamp 28 to the central station, for. example, after the intermittent fiashingis obtained and acknowledged through the change signals by the central station attendant, the operator at the floor station can thenmaintain light'28: illuminated for a considerable periodot time-until this indication isagain:

acknowledged. The attendant at the central station would thereupon recognize that ere press service-was desired in a directioncon;- trary to the generaL traffic direction heretofore maintained and would immediately close the switch 18-to indicate a change in traflic. direction. Since each of the vehiclesnated. location on. the ramp, whereupon it is" discontinued. The operator at the central station then knows that the traflic can be safely changechthat is, reversed, whereupontheother main control switch: 19 or 21 re spectively, will be closed and the other switch 21 or 19 respectively, will be opened, after which switch 18 is opened.

As shown in Fig. 1, a door 30 leads from the floor A and this may be to a stairway, escalator or endless conveyor. This facilitates attendant travel, that is, drivers of vehicles going up after parking their cars or delivering their cars to a floor attendant, will return to the main station by the stairway, or by stepping on the endless conveyor or escalator be conveyed thereto. Likewise, when the traffic is in the reverse direction and patrons are removing cars from the garage, the driving attendants can arrive at the cars at the proper floor by using the stairway, escalator or conveyor. All traflic other than vehicular is thereby eliminated from ramp 10. Of course, in such instances as where a car is being delivered for storage and one is desired to be withdrawn and the cars utilize either the same space or adjacent spaces, the same attendant may deliver the second car and return the first car. Also by having the floors designated and the storage spaces individually designated, the entire capacity of the garage can be utilized with maximum efficiency. It will be apparent also that by employing suitable checks and a tally system the exact location of every car in the garage can be readily designated.

Generally the central control station 20 will be at the entrance or the floor corresponding to the entrance so that the traffic control operator at the panel board 20 can control traffic.

If servicing is performed, such as washing, cleaning, polishing, oiling, greasing, refinishing and repairing and inasmuch as this trafic generally is not of the storage character, that is in and out, but is of special character, a duplicate panel board is provided for these floors and the duplicate panel board and signaling system for each of these floors is of substantially the same arrangement as that previously described for the main storage floors. It may be desirable where ground area is not available to store cars in the lower floors, that is, the basement and various sub-basements. In this event since traffic is independent above and below the entrance level, although utilizing the same entrance, the duplicate control system described will serve for these lower floors.

The main feature of the invention consists in the simultaneous control of traffic upon a single width ramp by the provision of a plurality of trafiic signals simultaneously energized to indicate traflic in one direction While the equilateral triangular signal 13 is shown employed with the circular ram 10 so that two faces are simultaneously visible for reverse travel, a rectangular or square signal would probably be more satisfactory where a straight ramp is utilized or required so that opposite or adjacent faces may be simultaneously visible for signaling.

The invention claimed is:

1. In combination, a garage having at least three floors for automobile storage and including ramp means leading from floor to floor and of substantially a single car width and upon which automobiles are driven to and from storage places on the floors, traflic directing means visible substantially from any point on the ramp means and the floor portions immediately adjacent thereto for directing traffic to proceed up the ramp and restrain down traffic and vice versa, and a central station control for manually controlling the traflic directing means.

2. In combination, a garage having at least three floors for automobile storage and including ramp means leading from floor to floor and of substantially a single car width and upon which automobiles are driven to and from storage places on the floors, traflic directing means visible substantially from any point on the ramp means and the floor portions immediately adjacent thereto for directing traffic to proceed up the ramp and restrain down traffic and vice versa, a central station control for manually controlling the trafilc directing means, and manually operable means for calling the central station from each floor for indicating at the central station the desire at the floor to reverse the direction of traffic.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

SKILES E. TEST.

and bar trafiic in a reverse direction and supplemental thereto, the provision of a signal system between each floor station and the central station for inter-communication or indicating a desire to have the traffic reversed. 

